“Would you like me to help with that?” Sarah asked.
Rough laughter escaped his throat. “As much as I value your practical nature, I fear it will cut our evening short if I let you apply it right now.”
She leaned back with the sort of seductive smile he’d not thought her capable of and watched with unashamed interest while he removed his trousers and smalls.
Her eyes widened. “Oh my.”
He smirked while he prowled toward her. “I’ve every intention of making you say that a dozen times more before tomorrow.”
Her lips parted as if she intended to say something else, but before she was able to do so he’d climbed onto the bed and positioned himself between her thighs. Pressing his mouth to hers in a kiss meant to scorch every cell in her body while driving away the brief pain he knew he would cause, he pushed forward with as much care and consideration as he could manage.
She gasped, tensing for a brief moment before relaxing once more. Stoking the fire inside her with each kiss and touch, he taught her how to move, how to ask for what she wanted, and finally how to let go.
Holding her gaze, he watched as she reached for the greatest sensation of all and then felt his own body strain in response to the oncoming rapture. It crashed through him seconds later with violent force, stealing the air from his lungs and robbing his body of strength. Never in his life had he experienced something so overwhelming, wonderful, or frightening.
He collapsed beside her, too afraid to ponder what it might mean.
Panting for breath, he lay there a moment while trying to steady the thunderous beats of his heart.
“That was incredible,” Sarah said. She snuggled up close to him and draped one arm across his chest. “Is it always like that?”
“For the most part. Yes.”
Liar.
“Oh. Well. Since I don’t know any better, I’ll choose to believe it was something special.”
Matthew forced his mouth shut to hold back the truth. Instead, he eased her arm away, sat up and went to fetch something for them to drink, anything to distract him from the effect his wife had just had on him. Because damn, he’d been with enough women in the past to know this wasn’t normal. This...this was something else.
Shaking, he re-filled the glasses they’d set aside earlier and returned to the bed. He handed her one and allowed himself to take pleasure in watching her recline against the pillows while she drank. When they’d both finished their drinks and set their glasses aside, she pulled him in for a kiss so tender and sweet it nearly broke his heart.
“I love you, Matthew.”
He knew she did. The only problem was, he could not allow himself to love her back.
Chapter Eight
